Hello, Mr. Schend. I just recently came across something on the Wizards boards (it is an old post, hence my just now finding it) that stated you are the one that created the fey'ri. I just wanted to say that they are one of my favorite races to play in 3.5 and ask... what exactly was your inspiration for creating them? Why sun elves and not some other subrace? Finally, are you happy with how the sourcebooks portrays them as compared to 2nd Edition? Thank you for your time, and if there is any fey'ri lore you want to pass on, I'll be sure to take notes.

More later, but offhand, I'd say that 15% is unnoted with any majority, so it could be a mix of all or any other races to make up that 15% (dwarf, half-elf, elf, half-orc, gnome, each being between 1-5% of the total population). Yes, half-orc is probably the dominant group among that, but no more than 6% of the total population at best.

Okies, we're just trying to realize the setting as accurately as we can according to canon, we just want to make sure we get it right!

This would seem to make Amnwater just about the most racially diverse community in all of Amn. Kind of an anomoly, really. But at a permanent population of 7,500 that means that 5% = 375 peeps--which is actually quite a lot (equivalent to a large hamlet)! Even 1% is 75 people (a large thorp), which is still enough to have fairly regular (once a year?) sightings (if not interactions). And because Amnwater is situated on such a main trade artery (Eshpurta Road), all that doesn't square too well with the notion that most Amnians will never encounter a demi-human race in their entire lifetime.

Personally, I think Amn being a place where demi-humans are rarely sighted gives it a very unique flavor, I'd sort of like to maintain that if possible... In that vein, for the purposes of a NWN2 persistent world, do you think it makes sense to simply revise that total figure of 15% to something much lower, more like 2%?

Or if the 15% stands, what is the explanation for that unusually high diversity? (One would think it is likely the strong trade in mercenaries.) How do they all get along? Do they tend to live in segregated little neighborhoods, as the halflings do?

I know you said you'll have more for us on this subject, but those are some of the immediate questions that come to my mind.

Lol, I really hope it doesn't feel like I'm busting chops here. It's just that this is figures to be an extremely vital component of our gameworld. Amnwater is where the do-gooder PCs will be starting out, and I'm sure a lot of players will likely want to use NWN2's demi-humans and their various subraces.

While I loathe the idea personally, it works world-wise to segregate any demihumans into their own neighborhoods/ghettos, as per Amnian culture.

If you want, make it 1.5% and we'll call it a typo, and make the other 13.5% human as in keeping with standard Amn.

All this makes me hope my computer will be able to run any of this.... ;)

Hello, Mr. Schend. I just recently came across something on the Wizards boards (it is an old post, hence my just now finding it) that stated you are the one that created the fey'ri. I just wanted to say that they are one of my favorite races to play in 3.5 and ask... what exactly was your inspiration for creating them? Why sun elves and not some other subrace? Finally, are you happy with how the sourcebooks portrays them as compared to 2nd Edition? Thank you for your time, and if there is any fey'ri lore you want to pass on, I'll be sure to take notes.

Actually, I'm not so much the creator there--it's Ed, as always.

What I did was take an aside he had in ELMINSTER IN MYTH DRANNOR about the ruined and sealed manor of the Dlardrageths, who allegedly held congress with demons. I ran with that idea in HELLGATE KEEP, and reintroduced the three surviving members of that family. They were sun elves because that's what Ed told me they were.

Eric Boyd then picked up the ball and ran crazily with it in CLOAK & DAGGER, and this is the true birthplace of the current fey'ri.

3rd Edition and Rich's LAST MYTHAL trilogy has genericized them somewhat, giving them all wings and such (which is not something I agree with, but I understand it, as it's too complex to use traits from all the individual demonic types). Even so, they're not something that is close to my heart, and the only thing that bothers me is that they're vastly more numerous than I'd be comfortable with, were I steering the ship.

Thus, the fey'ri are definitely a team construction, and we're all glad you're enjoying them in your Realms.

Stevenwho's still annoyed that Ryvvik got killed off-screen and for little reason other than they didn't have psionics rules for him at the time the other Dlardrageths were statted up....

While I loathe the idea personally, it works world-wise to segregate any demihumans into their own neighborhoods/ghettos, as per Amnian culture.

I was thinking...even within a country, there usually isn't one all-encompassing culture (that is, there are sub-cultures), so would it be workable to make this one town a bit more cosmopolitan than the rest of Amn? I think it would be interesting.

"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."--Richard Greene (letter to Time)

If you want, make it 1.5% and we'll call it a typo, and make the other 13.5% human as in keeping with standard Amn.

All this makes me hope my computer will be able to run any of this.... ;)

Steven

Thanks, I myself like the 1.5% figure as it gives Amnwater an edgier feel than if it were a 'we're all one big happy family' kind of place. I think it'll actually be more fun to play demi-humans as outsiders.

Yeah, system requirements for the game are pretty high. You can run this app http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest to see if there's anything you might want to upgrade to run the game (it's posted in the developer's system requirements FAQ thread). Also, many players have found that simply updating their video driver can make a vast difference in performance.

While I loathe the idea personally, it works world-wise to segregate any demihumans into their own neighborhoods/ghettos, as per Amnian culture.

I was thinking...even within a country, there usually isn't one all-encompassing culture (that is, there are sub-cultures), so would it be workable to make this one town a bit more cosmopolitan than the rest of Amn? I think it would be interesting.

Interesting, yes, but not from Amn's point of view. You might be able to find individuals or perhaps even whole families who might embrace demihumans, but rarely would you find that many willing to fight the standards set by the Council and their trading partners. (After all, those in Amnwater might see dips in trade if they started bucking the system.)

(Bear in mind, though, that if one family controls or influences the city (like the Medici did in Florence in their day), they set the stage for what's acceptable or not in town. And that can work on a small scale--perhaps not for Amnwater, but an unmentioned supporting village of farmers or a barracks town for military personnel nearby....)

Every time Amn's people have opened their borders to others in the past, it's bitten them hard. They still blame elves for many more sins than they should, because it's easy.

Most of Amn is quite comfortable with its internal attitudes and don't care one whit what others may think of them. Just as you can't get Turks or many Arabs collectively to accept the idea that Kurds deserve recognition as people and perhaps as a nation (a problem straddling more than 3 centuries in our world), you can't get too many Amnians to see the point that "those not like us" are not out to destroy their (as they see it) gods-given rights to earn profits. And that's part of how they rationalize their prejudices against other races--"they only bring demons or chaos or goods that humans can't fairly compete against and thus we don't want them here."

If you want cosmopolitan communities and a fair shake for demihumans AND still have some semblance of what life is like in Amn, I'd say use the two "traitor cities" of Riatavin and Trailstone. They're technically Tethyr now politically and economically, but most everyone in those settlements was an Amnian of long standing.

Stevenwho may regret not rereading this off-the-cuff response for clarity, but he's trusting his headbones to not lead him (or you kind readers) too far astray

Just off hand, have there been questions dropped in here that I've forgotten to address? (And no, I can't change any answers that were stated as NDAs, I'm afraid.) Just wanting to make sure that I'm not leaving folk in the lurch, waiting with bated breath for answers to queries.

I'm off to spend most of December madly pounding the keyboard in hopes of finishing another novel ASAP. Can't say anything else on it or for whom I'm writing it, but wish me luck, gentles.

Just off hand, have there been questions dropped in here that I've forgotten to address? (And no, I can't change any answers that were stated as NDAs, I'm afraid.) Just wanting to make sure that I'm not leaving folk in the lurch, waiting with bated breath for answers to queries.

I can take a look through your scroll, just to be sure...

quote:I'm off to spend most of December madly pounding the keyboard in hopes of finishing another novel ASAP. Can't say anything else on it or for whom I'm writing it, but wish me luck, gentles.

And, you will indeed, have it.

Though, I must admit... I'm more than a little intrigued to hear this. In fact, I'm extremely excited by this news. Thoughts about more Steven Schend fiction, regardless of who it is for, are always somewhere on my various "Wish Lists".

quote:Originally posted by Steven SchendI'm off to spend most of December madly pounding the keyboard in hopes of finishing another novel ASAP. Can't say anything else on it or for whom I'm writing it, but wish me luck, gentles.

-Oh, how I hope so badly that it is a Forgotten Realms novel...

-Well, even if it isn't, good luck with that, Sage Schend.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Steven, what's the differece between Maornathil and Mhaorathil (Corruption bane)? I mean linguistically and are they related somewhat

Thank you

Okay, finally found that elven glossary....

-athil translates as "bane/nemesis"

mhaor- translates as "corruption, disease, plague"

mor- translates as "absence of life, true death"

Mormhaor translates as "corrupted death, undeath"

the "n" negates the suffix or shifts the meaning somewhat to be something other than the literal word/root.

Maornathil is Tsarra's scimitar, a Rilifane-blessed undead fighting blade. It was originally Mormhaorathil, which would have literally been "Undead's Bane." However, the name, as it became in final draft (for reasons that I can't discuss right now), loosely translates as "Corruption's Foe/Ally" (depending on where you place the stresses).

In scenes that never quite got written, I'd planned on Syndra Wands having to pick up Mhaornathil to wield against Frostrune (which would do her a great bit of damage simply by touching it, but she'd do it for revenge.). Simply put, I never got around to using the sword as much as I'd have liked, as the shifting story focused more on the magic and wizardry, not bladeplay. Syndra also became an undead entity more in line with something from SECRETS OF THE MAGISTER rather than just the garden variety ghost, so she became a weapon in her own right and had no need to wield Tsarra's blade.

Mhaornathil is an undead bane scimitar that has the ability to touch/affect ghosts and other ephemeral undead (and strangely, to be touched/wielded by the same). That's the one aspect I didn't get to highlight, but it may come into play with future stories, I hope.

And I apologize if we slipped and introduced odd spellings of the blade. Thought I'd done the triple-check in galleys to make sure the first spelling (p22) remained consistent throughout the novel.

Stevenwho may regret not rereading this off-the-cuff response for clarity, but he's trusting his headbones to not lead him (or you kind readers) too far astray

It made sense--thanks for the response.

"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."--Richard Greene (letter to Time)

Next on Questions for Steve SchendWill Sage Schend post the elven glossary? Or will he drop a witty line that will make everyone less disappointed that it is a product owned by WotC or TSR that he can not reveal in this Forum directly? We'll find out soon.....

Well, I've not posted the elven glossary as it's a mess and it only makes sense to me and Eric and Ed, most often. If I find the time to clean it up and make it pretty, I'll see what I can do about making it available.

SESwho wishes you all a Happy New Year (even those who celebrated the same on October 31)

Anymore news on your next book? Diplomacy check 1d20+5 skill ranks+1 charisma+1 steve schend fan modifier=a roll of 18! What was the difficulty class? 30!? Maybe you are feeling kind and will still drop some hints on the subject of your next book? :)

The 'Political Boundaries' map in Lands of Intrigue seems to show most of (if not all) the Tejarn Hills to be under Sythillisian control. The map seems to show what has taken place very soon after the war. The state of affairs shown by the map isn't entirely accounted for in the book's text.

It looks like Hillfort Keshla falls outside of the zone controlled by Sythillis, and Hillfort Torbold definitely falls within Sythillisian controlled territory. Dark Redoubt looks like it might be just outside Sythillisian lands.

Anymore news on your next book? Diplomacy check 1d20+5 skill ranks+1 charisma+1 steve schend fan modifier=a roll of 18! What was the difficulty class? 30!? Maybe you are feeling kind and will still drop some hints on the subject of your next book? :)

Can't really say much about my current projects, as NDAs and contracts get in the way. Give me a few months and mayhaps I'll be able to leak more info.

As it is, the only writing I'll have coming out next year for sure is a contemporary magic short story called "Concerning a Gambit of Fraternity" in the FELLOWSHIP FANTASTIC anthology due out from DAW Books next summer. It's a modern world story all my own and not a work-for-hire, and I hope to finish a novel I've got set in the same world in less than six months.

More info will be pending, once I get the freedom to do more than hint. Thanks very much for the interest; it keeps me excited and energized to get the work done and out to you folks.

Stevenwho wishes you all a very safe, very happy, and very prosperous new year

"Surpise" is an ancient Amnian greeting shared among friends to signal the need for the host to provide food and sustenance immediately upon the arrival of said friends.

quote:The 'Political Boundaries' map in Lands of Intrigue seems to show most of (if not all) the Tejarn Hills to be under Sythillisian control. The map seems to show what has taken place very soon after the war. The state of affairs shown by the map isn't entirely accounted for in the book's text.

It looks like Hillfort Keshla falls outside of the zone controlled by Sythillis, and Hillfort Torbold definitely falls within Sythillisian controlled territory. Dark Redoubt looks like it might be just outside Sythillisian lands.

Your guesses sound correct; if I didn't have it conquered in the text, it wasn't conquered and the map's vagaries shouldn't change those facts. Unless I stated (and with a low fever and cold right now, I can't remember) that Keshla fell to the Sythillisians, it's still in Amnian hands.

quote:"Surpise" is an ancient Amnian greeting shared among friends to signal the need for the host to provide food and sustenance immediately upon the arrival of said friends.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wishes us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin

This reminds me--I think I have compiled descriptions of just about every wine, ale, beer, cider, and liquor in the entire Realms.

Any thoughts about what sorts of foods and drink the good folk of Amn like to indluge in, given their great wealth and expensive tastes? I know their prurient appetites are sated at such places as the Scrimitar (or were before the war anyway). But otherwise, at Amnian parties for example, what sorts of things do Amnians enjoy for entertainment? I assume they have music and dancing, food, drink, etc. Gift-giving, I would think. But anything else novel, i.e., distinctly Amnian?

quote:"Beer is proof that God loves us and wishes us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin